The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Clematis that is grown for use as an ornamental in the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Clematis and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘Hendryetta’.
Clematis is an important commercial genus with a large number of cultivar hybrids accumulated over a long period. The Inventor feels that modern gardens are unsuited to the vigorous large-flowered hybrids mostly in commerce. In 1990, the Inventor commenced a formal breeding program in Boskoop, Holland, whose purpose is to produce free-flowering Clematis plants that are easy to propagate and which are shorter in eventual height and which flower at a shorter height than many cultivars of Clematis in commerce.
In 1992, the Inventor successfully pollinated the female parent plant Clematis hybrid ‘Purpureostriata’ (unpatented) with male parent plant Clematis hybrid ‘Aljonushka’ (unpatented). Clematis ‘Aljonushka’ has been granted an Award of Garden merit by The Royal Horticultural Society of England. Very few seeds resulted and one seedling, later named ‘Hendryetta’, was selected in 1996 as having distinct and desirable characteristics, namely, a tidy and very upright habit, tendency to bear flowers along the stem rather than predominantly at the terminals, and flowers which are a light purple color and which are fragrant.
When compared with the male parent, Clematis ‘Aljonushka’, whose flowers are of a similar color, ‘Hendryetta’ is approximately one half to two-thirds shorter in overall height.
When compared with the female parent, Clematis ‘Purpureostriata’, ‘Hendryetta’ exhibits simple or ternate leaves and is more floriferous. The leaves of Clematis ‘Purpureostriata’ are distinctly pinnate.
Apart from the parental cultivars, the closest comparison variety known to the Inventor is Clematis hybrid ‘Heather Herschell’ whose flowers have tepals which are more recurved and twisting, whereas the flowers of ‘Hendryetta’ are symmetrical and bell-shaped, with little or no reflexing. In addition, the stated height of Clematis ‘Heather Herschell’ is in the range 2.0 m to 2.6 m whereas the typical height of ‘Hendryetta’ is 1.0 m to 1.8 m.
The first asexual propagation of ‘Hendryetta’ was accomplished by the inventor in 1996 in a cultivated area of Boskoop, Holland, using softwood cuttings. After conducting successive cycles of asexual reproduction, the Inventor has determined that new cultivar ‘Hendryetta’ is stable and reproduces true to type.
An application for a grant of European Community Plant Breeders Rights was filed for ‘Hendryetta’ on Nov. 8, 2002, Application Number 2002/1772. A grant of European Community Plant Breeders Rights was issued on Jun. 7, 2004, Ser. No. 13548.
‘Hendryetta’ was first exhibited to the public at the Plantarium Exhibition, Boskoop, The Netherlands, on Aug. 20, 2003 at which it was awarded a prize for “Best Novelty”. The first orders for purchase of plants of Hendryetta were taken during the Plantarium show and the first delivery of a plant of ‘HENDRYETTA’ took place on Sep. 2, 2003.